Part B Child Count & Ed Environments Data Notes

Part B Child Count & Ed Environments Data Notes

2014-15 Reporting Year

Alabama

The data note response is for the Year-to-Year change by disability (3-5 and 6-21), LRE (3-5 and 6-21), and LEP (3-5 and 6-21) for the 2014-2015 school year.

Although the year-to-year disability, LRE, and LEP data have been examined by LEA, there are no clear state initiatives, rule changes, or data collection changes that could yield a plausible explanation for the large year-to-year changes. As a result, the state is not able to provide a clear reason for the year-to-year changes.

Alaska
The year-to-year comparison of 2013-14 and 2014-15 data identified significant changes in the count of school age students who were served in the regular classroom setting.

Students served in the regular classroom 80% or more of the day increased 30% from 9536 to 12386.

Students served in the regular classroom between 79% and 40% of the day decreased 48% from 4095 to 2141.

Students served in the regular classroom less than 40% of the day decreased 45% from 1751 to 967.

There was one primary driver behind all three of these changes. One of our “big 5” districts conducted focused training on LRE with all their special education teachers. They especially stressed that LRE is identified by the location of the student, not the activities taught or the level of assistance needed by the student. This resulted in a large shift of students being reported in the 80% of the day LRE.

The year-to-year comparison of 2013-14 and 2014-15 data identified significant changes in the count of early childhood students who were served in two different settings.

Students served at home decreased 36% from 58 to 37.

Students who attend a general education early childhood program < 10 hours per week and receive the majority of their special education and related service in that setting decreased 39% from 74 to 45.

Both of these decreases are being driven by three of our “big five” districts. Two of these districts conducted extensive districtwide training on how to assign EC LREs in 2014-15. A third district is in year two of a new data system coupled with extensive training on EC LREs.

Arizona

Reporting year 2014-2015, 3-5 Specific Learning Disability & Visual Impairment

The decrease can likely be attributed to increased fidelity in screening and evaluation in these areas, resulting from intensive professional development and technical assistanceto strengthen early childhood education provided statewide.

Arkansas

In 2014/15, Arkansas has seen an increase in the number of children ages 3-5 identified as having multiple disabilities. Part of the reason for seeing an increase is ongoing training on the disability identification. The 619 Coordinator has conducted trainings across the state on the new EDR form, as part of the training she has focused on the eligibility criteria for each disability category.

In 2014/15, the number of children attending a regular preschool less than 10 hours a week and receive services in the preschool setting dropped significantly. Besides the ongoing training on how to classify children in the EC environments, the amount of time a child is in attendance at a regular preschool is determined by parents/guardians.

In 2014/15, the number of children receiving services in a special education classroom declined by 46%. Part of this shift is a change of individual programs structure as well as the ongoing push to integrate children in the regular preschool setting.

Colorado

The following notes are for the comparison between 2013-2014 and 2014-2015.

In the fall of 2011, Colorado passed new rules for eligibility determinations which included the stipulation to align with IDEA defined disability categories. These changes will be fully implemented by July 1, 2016. Prior to this change, the following federal categories were reported under a category of Physical Disability: Other Health Impairment, Orthopedic Impairment, Autism, and Traumatic Brain Injury. With the migration to categories that align with the federal reporting categories, changes in numbers are expected in the OHI and OI reporting. In addition, there may be subsequent changes/increases in the categories of autism and TBI which had previously been included in the Physical Disability category.

This decrease in the number of children attending a regular early childhood program less than 10 hours per week and receiving the majority of hours of special education and related services in some other location might be because Colorado has been promoting provision of special education program within a regular-ed setting.

This decrease in children attending a regular early childhood program less than 10 hours per week and receiving the majority of hours of special education and related services in the regular early childhood program might be because Colorado has been promoting equivalent amount of regular-ed instruction for children on IEPs as those without. Typical amount offered for children without IEP exceeds 10 hours.

The state found that Colorado’s largest LEA, Denver Public Schools, was solely accountable for this significant decrease in the number of children attending a special education program in a separate school. Denver was accountable for 34 count decrease out of the state total of 38 count decrease. According to the preschool specialist at Denver, Denver has been putting a lot of effort in decreasing the number of children attending separate schools; their preschool program increased opportunities for students to be included in the general education setting. They are sending more students to their home schools, and consequently, opportunities for students to be included in the general education setting have grown tremendously.

The LEAs in the Denver metro area are accountable for the increase of children in age 3-5 who are identified as LEPs. Since Colorado also sees the same trend of increase among the school age students, one of the reasons for the increase should be the general steady increase in the immigrant population especially in the Denver metro area. The other reason is that, as the number of dual-language learners increases in preschools and kindergartens, the LEAs are putting more effort in accurately recording students’ language status. The Denver-metro LEAs are holding more professional development for accurate recording of the dual-language learners, which seems to have resulted in the count increase.

The following notes are for the comparison between 2013-2014 and 2014-2015.

In the fall of 2011, Colorado passed new rules for eligibility determinations which included the stipulation to align with IDEA-defined disability categories. These changes will be fully implemented by July 1, 2016. Prior to this change, the following federal categories were reported under a category of Physical Disability: Other Health Impairment, Orthopedic Impairment, Autism, and Traumatic Brain Injury. Although Colorado had had the categories of Autism and Traumatic Brain Injury, some administrative units put the students with Autism and Traumatic Brain Injury into the physical disability category. With the migration to categories that align with the federal reporting categories, there will be changes in the OHI and OI reporting. In addition, there may be subsequent changes/increases in the categories of autism and TBI which had previously been included in the Physical Disability category. Finally, Colorado has extended the age limit of Developmental Delay to nine years of age rather than the prior maximum age of six years of age to align with federal reporting requirements; this change seemed to have resulted in an increase in the number of children identified with Developmental Delays.

Colorado’s largest LEA, Denver Public Schools, mainly contributed to the increase in the count of students who are parentally placed in private schools. According to them, this year, the private school team at the Denver Public School Special Education Assessment Services (SEAS) focused on providing outreach to private schools in order to increase customer service and knowledge of special education processes and procedures. Due to the team’s outreach at the beginning of the 2014-15 school year, more private schools contacted the SEAS private school team to discuss student needs. The private school team has provided training on root-cause analysis, data collection, interventions, and progress monitoring to the private schools. These trainings have increased the private school staffs’ knowledge of student needs and determining appropriate referrals for special education evaluations. With the increase in outreach and trainings by the SEAS private school team, this has led to more private schools making appropriate referrals for special education evaluations in Denver.

Connecticut

Separate Class/Separate Schools: The increase in the number of children attending these early childhood settings from 2013-14 to 2014-15 is a direct result of change in Connecticut State Board of Education policy. This policy required public preschool programs to apply for separate codes for purposes of state education reporting. Prior to this requirement, a limited number of codes existed for these programs, and students attending such programs were often reported under the public school code they would otherwise be attending. Considering the large number of new codes assigned for 2014-15 and comparing this number to known preschool practices across the state, there is some question about the appropriateness of code requests by LEAs. Connecticut will conduct a review to assess appropriateness of request and assignment of these new codes.

Correctional Facilities: The number and percent of students ages 6-21 in correctional facilities has steadily declined since the implementation of the Raise the Age legislation effective 2009. This legislation raised the age of juvenile jurisdiction from 16 to 18. A decline has also been seen in Connecticut’s adult correctional facilities population during this time period.A report released by Connecticut shows the state's prison population reached a 16-year low at the end of 2014. (OPM/CJPPD MonthlyIndicators Reports).

Residential Facilities: While the number and percent of students ages 6-21 receiving education and living in residential facilities has consistently been declining, the substantially larger decrease seen from 2013-14 to 2014-15 is a direct result of the logic Connecticut has employed to determine a student’s educational environment. Prior to 2014-15, Connecticut was considering both group homes and public or private residential schools as residential facilities. Beginning in 2014-15, after review of the federal definition, Connecticut is now reporting only students who received education programs and lived in public or private residential facilities during the school week. Students living in public or private residential facilities but educated in public schools are no longer reported in the residential category.

Separate Schools: The increase in the number and percent of students ages 6-21 in separate schools seen from 2013-14 to 2014-15 is a direct result of change in Connecticut State Board of Education policy. This policy required public alternative schools and programs to apply for separate codes for purposes of state education reporting. Prior to this requirement, a limited number of codes existed for these alternative schools and programs, and students attending such programs were often reported under the public school code they would otherwise be attending. With this new requirement, Connecticut is able to better determine educational environment for students attending these alternative schools and programs and the data reported for 2014-15 reflect this more precise data collection policy.

District of Columbia

This data note is to provide an explanation on the year-to-year changes for the Child Count and Educational Environments data collection during years 13-14 and 14-15. For the SY13-14 collection, the District of Columbia made changes to the method in which it collected Educational Environment data. Due to this change, there was a slight decrease in educational environments. For SY14-15, the state collected educational environment data in the same manner but, made adjustments to how LEAs were able to provide corrections. This allowed the numbers to return to similar rates that it had before SY13-14.

Indiana

Indiana’s Hispanic population increased 5,379 students from 2013-14 to 2014-15. Of that growth, 286 students were referred, evaluated, determined to be eligible and place in special education programs during 2014-15.

Massachusetts

MA reported five students above the age of nine in the developmental delay category. After discussion with each district that submitted students in this category above the age of nine, exceptions to our validation rules were granted, allowing these submissions. Districts were in the process of re-evaluation. It should be noted that these types of exceptions are granted on a case by case basis. In practice, MA expects no district to report students in the developmental delay category above the age of nine.

Missouri

School year referenced is 2014-15. The SLD category for ages 3-5 increased by 26 children from 2013-14 to 2014-15 due to small increases across a number of school districts.

Montana

The data for Montana’s C089 Edfacts file shows an increase in the number of children aged 3-5 who are identified as having Autism when comparing SY2013-14 to SY2014-15. This is due to the continuing education of evaluators to correctly identify autism in children in this age group, as well as an overall increase in numbers in that age group. There is not a need to resubmit the 009 file or to amend the SSS-IDEA survey, as both are correct.

New Jersey

With respect to the 089 file submitted for 2014-15 school year, as well as for all prior years, all students with an IEP that are ages 3 and 4 are classified as the state classification of Preschool Disabled, thefederally defined equivalent of developmentally delayed.

Under N.J.A.C. 6A:14-3.5, Determination of eligibility for special education and related services, the definition of “Preschool child with a disability” corresponds to preschool handicapped and means a child between the ages of three and five experiencing developmental delay, as measured by appropriate diagnostic instruments and procedures, in one or more of the areas and requires special education and related services.

For this reason, 0 counts have not been included for students ages 3 and 4 in disability categories other than Developmental Delay. Such eligibility categories just do not apply.

New Mexico

The state attributed the year to year increase in students diagnosed with autism in New Mexico to coinciding with the growing number of students diagnosed with Autism throughout the United States.

The state attributed the decrease in students in setting REC10YOTHLOC to: a concurrent decrease in the number of children with disabilities (aged 3 – 5) in the state and an increase in the number of students with disabilities (aged 3 – 5) attending a special education program (NOT is any regular early childhood program) specifically, a separate special education class. Historical data supports these findings.

Oregon

In Oregon, for the 2014-15 school year, two programs changed from serving all students to only students who are IDEA eligible.

In Oregon, school age 5 year olds must be cross walked to Early Childhood coding. A couple of large LEAs, during the 2014-15 data collection, coded their records that populate REC09OTHLOC backwards. Data has been corrected and resubmitted.

Oregon has a seamless system for children transitioning from IDEA Part C services to IDEA Part B services. A new program contractor has been having speech services provided at the service provider location resulting in the count/percent difference for the service provider location category.

South Carolina

This data note is in response to the OSEP Year-to-Year Comparisons for the Child Count and Educational Environment 618 Data Submissions for the 2014-2015 school year. The SC Department of Education Office of Special Education Services (OSES) asked for input from the local districts regarding each of the following categories where a data note was requested. Below were the general reasons given for the differences. Our state’s EdFacts team also verified that the Child Count and Educational Environments data submissions were accurate and no data resubmission will be needed.

Age 6-21

SS – Separate School LRE (Decrease)
Schools considering less restrictive short term placements through the use of alternative programs at the middle and high school levels
Administrative changes at the school level regarding placement
Normal attrition (students exiting for various reasons, changes of LRE placement)
HH – Homebound/Hospital LRE (Increase)
A district change in data coding from medical homebound to residential homebound
A more accurate reflection of the student’s LRE regarding the homebound/hospital LRE after additional monitoring by the LEA

Age 3-5

EMN – Disability Category – Deaf and Hard of Hearing (Decrease)
Normal attrition (students exiting the school district, students entering the 6-21 school program)
H – In Neither a Regular Early Childhood Program Nor a Special Education Program – Home LRE (Decrease)
Student population decreases along with increases in students being served in other LRE settings that were school-based, in day care, or in Head Start

Normal attrition (students transitioning to the regular school program)

SS – In Special Education Program Only – Separate School (Decrease)
Change in school locations for the 2014-2015 school year
Normal attrition (students exiting, changes of LRE placement, referral and admission year-to-year fluctuations)
REC09YSVCS – In Regular Education less than 10 hours per week – EC Program LRE (Increase)
The increase was attributed to a small group service delivery model redesign (focused on communication and social-emotional skill development) that allowed for specialized instruction to be provided in 4K classrooms with support from a special education teacher. These students, many who were previously served in more restrictive environments, are now spending more time in the general education classroom.
SPL – In Neither Regular Education or Special Education – Service Provider or Other Location (Decrease)
A decrease in the overall number of students in certain districts
Providing additional clarification to assist teachers in indicating the correct LRE
The addition of K4 classrooms in some of the elementary schools
A significant increase in the number of students being served in the regular education classroom

Tennessee